Samyukta Kisan Morcha Press Release
281st day, 3rd September 2021
Kisan Andolan always supported by locals – BJP-RSS trying desperately to create misinformation on this aspect: SKM
SKM leaders appeal to political parties not to get into election mode in Punjab now – Such electioneering is anti-farmer in itself, when the Kisan Andolan is in its 10th month of intense protests
It is getting more and more clear that SDM Ayush Sinha was not acting on his own, and his political masters were the ones who ordered the breaking of farmers’ heads
In different states around Delhi in particular, farmers’ protests are intensifying against leaders of BJP and allied parties. SAD, being an NDA ally of BJP until recently and having had supported the anti-farmer black laws, is also bearing the brunt of farmers’ ire in Punjab. In Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the state Chief Ministers, both BJP leaders, have received an ultimatum from farmers with regard to some upcoming programs. Farmers of Rewari in Haryana have warned the Chief Minister from coming to a scheduled event in Rewari on the 5th of September, and have stated that farmers will stage a black flag protest for sure. In Himachal Pradesh, farmers have warned CM Jairam Thakur against participation in an upcoming event in Shillai unless their demands are met – their demands include setting up of procurement centres and APMC mandis, and also guaranteed remunerative price for apples, tomatoes, ginger, garlic etc. In Hoshiarpur of Punjab, Union Minister of State Som Parkash was confronted by local farmers with black flags yesterday. The continuing protests against SAD leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal and others have been widely reported already.
SKM leaders have appealed to political parties not to get into an election mode now. “Usually, election related campaigning and propaganda begins a couple of months before election dates, whereas we are finding an unusual level of activity from different parties who are already getting into election mode for no good reason. We can only conclude that this is an anti-farmer conspiracy, to distract and divert attention from the crucial struggle farmers have been waging for months now. We ask them to desist from their election campaigning, if they are truly supportive of the farmers’ struggle”, said SKM.
In Muzaffarnagar, preparations are in final stages for an event being dubbed as the world’s largest gathering of farmers ever. It is expected that lakhs of farmers will take part in the Kisan Mahapanchayat that will inaugurate Mission Uttar Pradesh of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, on 5th of September in the city’s GIC Ground. Dozens of mobilisation meetings have taken place in numerous places of Western Uttar Pradesh as well as other parts of UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, for participation in this Mahapanchayat. Farmers, cutting across caste and religion differences are planning to participate in the event. Farmer unions are mobilising their respective cadre with great enthusiasm for this joint event. Preparatory meetings themselves have already given a glimpse of the mammoth show that is being planned for the 5th of September. This unprecedented show of strength by farmers is expected to launch Mission UP in right earnest. Local villages are preparing to welcome participants from other places, and preparations for feeding lakhs of people through Bhandars are underway.
This historic Kisan Andolan has always been supported by locals, even as the Andolan did the best that it could, to support their lives. The langars in the morchas run with the contributions of the local villagers, whether it is wheat or milk or vegetables. It is noted that BJP-RSS is desperately trying to instigate some locals against the farmers’ movement at every opportunity that they get. Some media houses also cover some local meetings of these BJP-RSS groups and hype it up. However, the fact that the movement has run peacefully and harmoniously with the local villagers for nearly ten months in itself is a strong testimony to the support it enjoys from them. In Nangal village yesterday, a special meeting was called by the villagers wherein they announced that no anti-farmer meeting will be allowed on September 5th in the village. This was done after news reports indicated that a meeting would be organised on 5th September, to counter the farmers protesting at Singhu Border. Nangal village panchayat however took a clear decision and resolved not to allow any such meeting to take place.
This farmers’ movement is not just asking governments to protect the interests of farmers and consumers, as well as workers of the country, but has also targeted and short-listed crony capitalists for whom the elected government is adopting certain policy decisions. Against this backdrop, farmers had chosen several business sites of Adani and Ambani to protest against. At Qila Raipur in Punjab, Adani had to shut its dry port and announce the same, unable to bear the resistance from farmers against such a corporate takeover of India’s food security. Now, it is the turn of WalMart, to announce the shut down of its unit in Bathinda in Punjab. Earlier, even contractors and machinery suppliers to Adani refused to provide their services to Adani, expressing their support to the farmers’ movement. Meanwhile, more and more toll plazas are being freed up by farmers, giving a big relief to ordinary citizens and also questioning the multiple taxation policy adopted by the government to favour big business houses in the name of basic infrastructure. The latest toll plaza to be freed up is in Rajasthan, in Alwar district.
SKM points out that the silence of Haryana government on the one hand to the demands of farmers with regard to the Karnal State Violence, and the loud action of protection and promotion of former SDM Ayush Sinha with his transfer couched in the midst of other promotions of transfers, is a clear statement of who Ayush Sinha was taking his orders from. “Time is running out for Haryana government to fulfill the demands put forward by farmers with regard to the Karnal incidents, and it is clear who are the anti-farmer masters of murderous officials like Ayush Sinha, who is getting protected by the BJP-JJP government shamelessly. As announced already, SKM will launch a siege of the Mini Secretariat of Karnal if no action is taken by the 6th of September”, said SKM. Reports indicate that the High Court of Punjab & Haryana has been moved against the said official.
SKM strongly condemns the violence unleashed by Punjab Police on peaceful protestors yesterday in Moga. Many people have been booked by the Police in Mattewara and Moga, and SKM demands the immediate withdrawal of cases against farmers, and strong action against police who brutally attacked protesting farmers in Moga yesterday.
Farm Laws are a much-debated issue of concern not just in and around Delhi but in other states too. After Tamil Nadu government introduced and passed a resolution asking for a withdrawal of the 3 farm laws by the Union Government recently, in addition to tabling a Bill to repeal the state’s contract farming legislation of 2019, it was time for much ruckus and walk-outs in Puducherry Assembly yesterday on the same farm laws.
Other than central trade unions like CITU putting out an appeal to make the 25th September Bharat Bandh a great success, several Left parties have also put out a press statement on the same. CPI, CPI-M, AIFB, CPI-ML and RSP have put out a joint statement to people, to support the Bharat Bandh called by Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
As Modi Government did not respond to the ultimatum put out by Bhartiya Kisan Sangh on its ultimatum of announcing a statutory guarantee to MSP for all farmers, it is reported that BKS will go ahead with its planned protests all over the country on 8th of September.
More farmers are joining the protest morchas every day. Today, a contingent of more than 500 peasants from Bihar, affiliated to All India Kisan Sabha, came to Ghazipur Border, for strengthening the movement, and taking back the inspiration back to their own areas for further mobilisation. Similarly, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has been an active and integral part of the movement so far, and a new contingent of protestors have arrived from Maharashtra to strengthen the Ghazipur Border a couple of days ago. Further, a pucca morcha that was started on 15th December 2020 in Wardha of Maharashtra, is continuing uninterrupted and today marks the 262nd day of protest in Wardha.
Issued by –
Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’, Yudhvir Singh, Yogendra Yadav
Samyukta Kisan Morcha
Email: samyuktkisanmorcha@gmail.com
